A nutrient-dense diet is the first step in your path to achieve better health. Here are some foods that can prevent high blood pressure, diabetes, stress and other common health problems.
A balanced and nutritious diet is key to living healthy
HIGHLIGHTS
- Pomegranates can prevent high blood pressure
- Carom seeds can aid better digestion
- Walnuts and bananas can be good for your mental health
Healthy food is an absolute bliss! Eating healthy is always appreciated! Most people these days suffers from one health problem or the other, and what if we tell you that you can avoid all this with just a single step? A step to eating healthy! There are thousands of options available of the foods that serve the purpose of therapy and lead you to a better healthy lifestyle. Therapy foods are becoming a necessity for the present times. They should be inculcated in your daily diet. A nutrient-dense diet is the first step in your path to achieve better health. Food not only provides energy or calories but is also known for healing your body in other ways. Many of the foods that we generally eat have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which are totally apt for your health.
Therapy foods for to prevent high blood pressure, diabetes, stress, heart problems
Following is a list of some of the problems that people generally go through and the foods which will work as a therapy for those problems. It is advisable to include these foods in your diet in order to avoid these health problems and lead a better healthy life.
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1. High cholesterol (Heart problems) - Cholesterol, mainly bad cholesterol called LDL is the reason behind most of the heart diseases. In order to avoid build up of bad cholesterol in your body, include foods like garlic, legumes and fatty fishes in your diet. Garlic can be used as an ingredient in your most favourite dishes. It contains allicin which helps in lowering down bad cholesterol levels. Legumes like beans and lentils contain a lot of vitamins, minerals and are rich in fibres. They also contain proteins. Fatty fishes like salmon and mackerel should be eaten as they are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids which is good for health.
Include fruits and vegetables in your diet to stay fit and healthy
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2. High blood glucose (Diabetes) - High glucose levels in the blood can be a serious threat to health. Fenugreek seeds, cinnamon and berries are some of the foods that can help reduce the blood sugar level in the body. Fenugreek seeds contain fibres which help regulate sugar in the body and the amount of insulin. Cinnamon is loaded with certain antioxidants which mimic insulin and help in lowering down blood glucose. Ceylon cinnamon is the best one to go for. Berries have anthocyanin and are high in fibre content which improves insulin sensitivity.
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3. High blood pressure (Hypertension) - High blood pressure against the walls of your artery can lead to diseases of kidney, heart and may affect other parts of the body too. Maintaining a low sodium diet is necessary to avoid such situation. Some of the foods that should be eaten are olive oil, pomegranates and leafy greens. Olive oil contains polyphenols which help reduce blood pressure. Pomegranates also help in maintaining blood pressure. Avoid packaged pomegranate juices as they have added sugars in them which are harmful for the health. Eat more leafy greens like lettuce, kale and spinach which are good in potassium levels. They help in reducing sodium levels.
4. Gut health (Digestion) - Fennel seeds, carom (ajwain) seeds and black pepper help aid digestion and make your stomach feel lighter and healthier. Fennel seeds help relax the colon and have antispasmodic and carminative effects which help in better bowel movements. Carom seeds improve gastrointestinal secretions which help in better digestion and also provide relief from stomach pain. Black pepper has piperine which leads to digest food better.
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5. Mental health (Stress) - Stress is something we all deal with in our everyday life and binge eating on everything can be harmful. Eating food like walnuts, banana and oatmeal can help. The omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium content in walnuts help in improvement of mood hormones. Banana and oatmeal contains serotonin which helps in relieving stress. Bananas are also rich in vitamin B6.
These therapy foods are readily available in the kitchen. Eating them will significantly help you avoid these diseases and will also lead you to a healthier way of living.
(Nmami Agarwal is nutritionist at Nmami Life)
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